The subject matter herein relates generally to electrical connectors, and more particularly, to electrical connectors having separable mating interfaces.
Electrical connectors are typically used for making an electrical connection between circuit boards. Some electrical systems, such as servers, routers, and data storage systems, utilize board-to-board electrical connectors for transmitting signals through the electrical system. One particular application is in a backplane application in which a daughter card, in the form of a circuit board, is electrically connected to a backplane by an electrical connector. The daughter card is loaded into a slot such that the daughter card is arranged perpendicular to the backplane. The daughter card slides along a mating interface of the electrical connector until the daughter card reaches a final engaged position with respect to the electrical connector and the backplane.
However, problems may arise in such backplane applications. For example, as the daughter card is slid into position across the mating interface with the electrical connector, the insertion force of the daughter card may be high. It is sometimes difficult to load the daughter card in place. Improper loading may occur due to the high insertion force. Additionally the contacts of the electrical connector may be damaged as the daughter card is slid into position across the contacts. With high density applications, many contacts are provided, and the problems described above may be exaggerated. A need remains for an electrical connector that provides a zero insertion force for the daughter card. A need remains for orthogonal interconnects that eliminate a midplane.